Dr. Arian Mowlavi, a plastic surgeon who branded himself “Dr. Laguna” on social media, has reached a $6-million settlement with three dozen former sufferers, in response to court docket data.
In a collection of malpractice lawsuits filed in opposition to the Laguna Seashore doctor, sufferers alleged that he unnecessarily pressured them to be nude for an examination, made inappropriate feedback about their our bodies, touched them with out consent, tried to upsell different procedures moments earlier than they went underneath the knife and, in some instances, botched the surgical procedures. Sufferers mentioned in court docket paperwork that they have been left with unpleasant and surprising scars and infections following surgical procedure.
Beneath the settlement settlement, first reported by NBC, the physician’s insurance coverage firm will put up the $6 million. Some particulars of the settlement have been included in a submitting in Mowlavi’s chapter case.
An lawyer representing Mowlavi didn’t return a cellphone name searching for remark Friday. Mowlavi, who has not admitted to any wrongdoing, couldn’t be reached for remark.
The state medical board in late January filed a proper accusation in opposition to Mowlavi, together with allegations that he dedicated gross negligence, created a false medical report, made false representations about his therapy of a affected person, failed to keep up correct medical data and did not report back to the board an adversarial occasion involving a affected person.
That is the second motion the board has taken in opposition to Mowlavi, data present. In August 2021, the board filed an accusation alleging that he dedicated gross negligence, aided the unlicensed follow of drugs and overstated the variety of procedures he’d carried out, amongst different violations. In September 2022, the board suspended Mowlavi’s license for 90 days and positioned him on probation for 10 years, paperwork present.
The board’s January submitting facilities on Mowlavi’s interactions with two sufferers in 2020. The primary, recognized within the doc as Affected person A, underwent surgical procedure in November of that yr for high-definition liposuction of the stomach, flanks, center and higher again, armpit and left medial thigh. There was no speedy complication, however a few week later, she returned to the workplace and complained of a “unhealthy odor and darkish discoloration of the belly pores and skin” together with ache, the board’s accusation states.
The accusation states that Mowlavi examined the affected person’s stomach over FaceTime. Nevertheless, a postoperative observe within the affected person’s chart made it appear as if Mowlavi had examined her in particular person, in response to the doc.
Throughout an interview with the board final Could, Mowlavi was requested concerning the encounter. He “said that he remembered the go to clearly and Affected person A was doing properly and progressing faster than most sufferers do.” He described the affected person as “completely happy” and “excited on the best way out,” saying she “high-fived” him twice, the doc states.
However two days after Mowlavi examined her over FaceTime, the girl was taken to the emergency room after paramedics discovered her with a decreased stage of consciousness, slurred speech and weak spot to her proper aspect. Docs decided that she was in septic shock. She underwent a number of surgical procedures to take away broken tissue from the stomach, in response to the doc.
The second affected person, recognized as Affected person B, lived out of state and sought out Mowlavi to change her breasts, stomach, again, thighs and arms. In September 2020, the board doc states, the physician carried out a digital session. However in data supplied to the medical board, he reported that he had carried out a bodily examination, in response to the accusation.
Occasions workers author Salvador Hernandez contributed to this report.
